SAVAGE, Ernest Albert

SAVAGE, Ernest Albert (1877-1966)
Croydon 1890; Watford 1895; Croydon 1898 (DL 1900); CL Bromley 1904; CL Wallasey 1906; CL Coventry 1915; CL Edinburgh 1922-1942
As predecessor to W C Berwick Sayers as L S Jast's deputy at CROYDON, although for a much shorter time, he prepared there for his later role as one of the outstanding influences on modern librarianship. At COVENTRY he pioneered service to industry and commerce and developed local studies and at EDINBURGH, following necessary reorganization and modernization, subject departments. His work at the latter made that system one of the best of its time in Great Britain. He is likely to be remembered mostly, however, as a LA man. As Honorary Secretary from 1928 until 1934 he transformed it and, with much CUKT help, provided it with its own headquarters and permanent secretarial service, supported by a greatly increased membership, obtained initially through federation with the AAL and the several provincial library associations. After 1934 he became one of the LA's most persistent, constructive and forward looking - but not always fair - critics. He was made Honorary Fellow in 1933 and President 1936. His outstanding publication was Special librarianship in general libraries and other papers (1939) but he published other books and was an untiring journalist. His interest in library history had been early manifested in his Old English libraries (1911), and there is some autobiography in A librarian's memories (1952).
J G Ollé Ernest A Savage: librarian extraordinary (1978)